HELLO, everyone! Thank you to all of you who have reached out to ask me how I'm doing or to offer support or just let me know that you're around. I'm going to post more in my individual outfit post, but suffice to say--I'm feeling really good for only being six days post-op! But anyway, way more important than that is this week's Style Imitating Art roundup! Just as a reminder, this week's piece is Canyon by Helen Frankenthaler. Let's get to it!
First is Stephanie, whose outfit is a perfect match for this week's inspiration. I absolutely love the heels and the pleating on the skirt! Adorable.
Next is Erin at Loop Looks, and she has a great classy casual look going. I especially love the scarf--it carries the idea of the canyon and nature even further!
The last time Jen of Librarian for Life and Style included this umbrella in an SIA roundup, I FORGOT to include her picture! Not this time though. I love that she added some pattern to her outfit--and it works with the painting, too! Yesssss.
Kezzie of KezzieAG looks adorable in her orange dress! And her boots match her cardigan perfectly. I love it.
I kind of feel like rust is Salazar's colour. It looks amazing on her! For more photos of her outfit, check out 14 Shades of Grey.
Isabella of Adventures in HEL has apparently only just started wearing orange and green together. WHAT? After all the famous duos that are orange and green, like green apples and oranges or clown fish and...uhhhh never mind. Either way, she looks awesome!
And then there's me--upright and wearing a skirt!
Thank you all for participating this week! It's always fascinating to see how differently we all interpret one piece of artwork. Well done, y'all!
Necklace: Kate Spade | Top: Target | Skirt: Target | Heels: Urban Outfitters
We need to talk. Or more importantly, Abigail van Buren and I need to talk.
Today's article for Dear Abby included a letter writer who wanted advice on how to deal with her mother, who is uncomfortable with how the author, who is overweight, dresses around the house. Abby's response, to say the least, was devastating. I'm not quoting the letter or the response here because of possible copyright issues, but I urge anyone who reads this blog and respects me as a human (instead of a fatty fat who won't stop eating god get over it and eat some lettuce, etc.) should read the letter, and then read this:
The only word that can truly describe Abby's response is "presumptuous", and the only word that can truly describe my response is "disappointed". I agree with the first half of Abby's response--when you're in someone else's home, you have to respect their wishes. If someone wants you to take your shoes off, you take your shoes off, right? Even if it's your mom (hell, ESPECIALLY if it's your mom) you do what she says.
HOWEVER.
Abby's additional paragraph noting that the writer's mom would be prouder if she basically got off her ass and did something about losing some weight is what is called "fat shaming". This was noted by many in the comments, which mostly call Abby out on her sanctimoniousness and the lack of necessity to discuss the writer's weight. Dealing with your mom does not equal dealing with your weight. I've had my fair share of arguments with my mom over my weight and what I wear, though mostly this was when I was younger and struggling to dress myself; my mom wanted me to wear colours and dresses. All I wanted to wear was baggy jeans and hoodies that made me look even larger than I already was, or clothing that was way too small because I didn't know there were other options. (I think we're both happier now that I've accepted colours and dresses as my general dress code!) However, those were arguments that danced around much deeper situations, which is how a lot of daughters fight with their moms. And as a side note, my mom was disgusted by Abby's response.
Abby has no knowledge of the writer's personal health, whether or not she has medical issues, or perhaps even is overweight but it's ALL muscle. (Most NFL linebackers are considered obese, but most of them are also in excellent shape.) Some diseases and disorders make it nigh impossible to lose weight. Perhaps the writer has already lost 100 pounds and is really proud of her accomplishment, and Abby's cutting her down is going to give her a complex. We have no idea. What disturbs me most, though, is that as a longtime Dear Abby reader, I know Abby has always supported and advocating for being oneself and fuck the rest. Especially when it comes to LGBTQ rights and women's rights, Abby has been firmly in the corner of supporting everyone equally and treating all people with respect. However, this comes as an extreme slap in the face: for those of us who read Dear Abby and are not normally sized, this comes across as "you're fat so you're subhuman and you deserve to only make other people happy instead of yourself". And that is deeply disturbing.
Fat shaming--which involves making a person feel bad about his or her weight, either directly or indirectly--is wrong. ANY body shaming ("You're too thin! You need a burger!") is wrong. Flat out. We are all human. We all have emotions. We all have bodies, which are absolutely fascinating things and the fact that they work day in and day out to keep us alive should be celebrated, regardless of how said body looks. At the end of the day, our bodies should not be fodder for anyone else. We should be concerned with only ourselves and our happiness, and however it comes. Relying on someone else's happiness, as Abby suggests the letter writer should do with her mother, is crude, disturbing, and completely off the mark. And at the end of the day, the only business anyone should be into is his or her own. I'm not going to ask a stranger about his or her finances or sex life, right? So why the fuck is it cool do do that with weight? Being overweight, or underweight, or black, or white, or having tattoos, or having blue hair, or being pregnant, does not mean that one's body has become open season for discussion. It should never be that way.
I can only hope that Abby takes the time to read the comments on her response (and the letter I wrote her) and reconsiders her response and what she actually said. No one wants to read Dear Abby if Abby's going to be harsh. If you want that, you need to go read Carolyn Hax instead.
Necklace: thrifted | Dress: Target | Belt: Target | Wedges: Target
Rebekah mentioned approximately two hours ago that she is bad at blogging this time of year. Concerts, fun, life, etc. I'd like to own up to the same deal, plus school. Concert season officially begins for me in one week, when T. and I are hitting up The Package Tour. I am not lying. Two Keshas (one of which includes bonus Pitbull), a Streetlight Manifesto farewell tour, and one Black Keys later, and...I also have tickets for Bruno Mars. No big deal. I'm a lot more excited about the whole concert thing than the fact that I still have that pesky grad school to deal with. December is coming, December is coming, December is coming.
Necklace: JCPenney | Dress: JCPenney | Belt: Target | Tights: Target | Wedges: Target
For some reason, I received a lot of compliments on how "nice" I looked today. I'm not really sure I know what that means. I know it's a compliment only and that people simply want to commend me on my style, but then I wonder to myself--do I not look nice on other days? What, exactly, makes this outfit nicer than others I've worn in recent history? Is it because this dress is flattering, is it because everything is in the same colour family, is it because my hair is a little taller than usual? What is it about nice that makes me overanalyze everything, while the more loaded I like that dress doesn't bother me at all? Is it because it's about the total package, instead of one piece, that makes me second guess? Because instead of being about what I wear, it's about how I look as a whole. Maybe that's where the struggle comes from.
Or maybe it's because there are far better words to use. Call me dashing and I'll eat out of your palm all day.
